Grit: Grace & Grit

GRIT

“Cause Sometimes, Life is Gonna Take More That What Ya Got” 

Part 2 – Grace and Grit

Introduction:  In 2016 Angela Duckworth wrote a book for the educational community called GRIT.  Linda Caplain Thaler also wrote a book entitled Grit…but it was on the subject of how Passion and Perseverance will help you Lead.  

Angela Duckworth in her research created a self-assessment test that measures how much GRIT you have…based on a scale from 1-5…5 being the grittiest. 

Want to know what I scored…I’ll tell you at the end of the message.  

John Wayne Quotes:  

  • “We’re burning daylight pilgrim.” 
  • “A goal, a Love and A Dream make you think you have total control over your life.” 
  • “Talk low, talk slow and Don’t say too much.” 
  • Tomorrow is the Most Important thing in life.  It’s perfect when it arrives, and it put itself in our hands.  Hoping we’ve learned something from yesterday.” 
  1. Grit Defined
    1. Grit is passion for long-term goals, coupled with the Powerful motivation to achieve objectives.  It’s a perseverance that overcomes obstacles that lie in an individual’s path.
    2. 5 Characteristics of Grit
      1. Courage
      2. Conscientiousness
      3. Perseverance
      4. Resilience
      5. Passion
  2. G.R.I.T.
  • What Does it take to have Grit…
    • It takes GROWTH – see if you don’t grow you will think Grit is willpower or vibrato… 
      • Grow in your faith
      • Grow in your relationships
      • Grow in areas you have influence…
      • Grow in your walk and worship of God

“Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You Are and Where You Could Be.”

  • Most people, churches, businesses and organizations cease to grow when the cost gets too high
    • Cost of TIME
    • Cost of EFFORT
    • Cost of MANPOWER
    • Cost of MONEY
    • Cost of COMFORT is usually the number one reason why we stop growing and developing as people.
  • Grit also requires RESPONSIBILITY

1 Tim 6:20

20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. 

NIV

    • Paul has told his Spiritual Son to Guard…which doesn’t mean simply to protect but also to be Responsible for…
    • See in 2Tim.2:2 it says, “commit these things to faithful men, who will intern teach others.” 
    • Adulthood and Maturity is not simply an age thing…but a Responsibility issue.  Can you handle responsibility and do it as unto the Lord…
    • Grit requires responsible people…mature people…
    • Here is a quote I read:  “If you aren’t willing to carry the ball, you can’t lead the team.”  
      • They get the job done…
      • They are willing to go the extra mile
      • They are driven by excellence
      • They produce regardless of the Situation
    • Here is what I know…if you want to be Respected, you have to be Responsibility
  • To have Grit you must include Intentionality
    • Paul Harvey said:  “You know you are on the road to success when it is uphill the whole way.”  
    • When Paul told Timothy to guard the trust…he was telling Timothy…you are going to have to be Intentional and take Initiative…
    • I have found I don’t just get better…I have to be intentional about getting better…
      • It’s hard to be intentional when you don’t know what you want…see intentional people know what they want…
        • Do you really want a closer walk with Jesus?
        • Do you really want a Great, Fantastic Marriage…
        • Do you want to succeed in your carrier or maybe a new carrier…
      • Intentional People Push Themselves to Act
        • Intentional people take the initiative to push themselves out of their comfort zones…
        • Push themselves by setting new disciplines….
      • Intentional People Take More Risks
        • I’m not talking about being reckless…but Faith Walking means I take Risks…
      • Intentional People Make More Mistakes
        • I think this one is the hardest one for us…
        • Thomas J. Watson said:  “The way to succeed is to double your failure rate.”  
  • GRIT takes TIME
    • Time is either our friend or our enemy…it depends on how you use it…
    • We can use our time to invest or waste…
    • I say Grit takes time because if we aren’t careful we’ll mistake Grit for coarse or rude…
      • Let’s be honest in the movie True Grit…John Wayne was both Course and Rude….
    • That’s not the grit we are after…we are after the grit that stays with a thing…that commits and doesn’t back up…a grit that is tied to tenacity. 
      • Micah 6:8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
      • Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
      • Luke 21:36 Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man.

Transition:  Let me show you one more thing…because without it…Grit is harmful…

Last week during the Easter Festival I saw a young lady wearing a Shirt and written across the front of it was:  “Grit and Grace”

I thought to myself…Yep that is the source of Grit…Grace.  

See without Grace…all you have is willpower Grit…but with Grace, you have a substance to your Grit.

  1. Grace and Grit
    1. All through Scripture we are introduced to Gritty People…but none were Grittier than Jesus… which is Graceful and Gritty.  
      1. See the world needs Men and Women of Grit and Grace…not just grit. 
    2. Let’ ‘s look at Grace and Grit on Display
      1. John 8 “Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery
      2. They catch her, drag her out and throw her before Jesus to test Him. They said, according to the Law of Moses, she must be stoned and killed. What say you?
    3. Jesus gets down in the dirt 
      1. (Aren’t you glad Jesus will get down in your dirt to get you out)  
      2. He begins rewriting your story while in the dirt…what I love about Jesus…He’ll start rewriting your story while others are still condemning you…
      3. They pick up stones to kill her. 
      4. They actually were trying to catch Jesus in his words. 
      5. Instead, Jesus starts writing on the ground, then He stands up and says those incredible words, “he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” (WHEW)
    4. WHAT’S AMAZING IS THAT JESUS DIDN’T USE FORCE, HE JUST USED HIS VOICE. 
      1. They all, one by one, drop their stones and walked away. 
      2. Jesus looks to the woman, and He says, “Woman, where are your accusers?” She said, “There are none my Lord,” 
      3. iii. (Which means He even set her free from accusing herself). 
      4. Then what does He say, “Then neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” BOOM! GRACE and GRIT! Right there, He just said it and displayed them, incredibly.
    5. Grace —neither do I condemn you. 
    6. Jesus was the only one that was without sin and therefore was the only that could throw a stone, yet He choose not to and instead He showed GRACE! 

THAT IS GRIT

    1. Mercy is God not giving you what you really deserve….
    2. Grace is God giving you what you really do not deserve and that’s called Favor, that’s called Blessing, that’s called Breakthrough, that’s called POWER!!!!
    3. In that story, Jesus shows Mercy, Grace and GRIT…. Neither do I condemn even though I could (mercy). Go and sin no more (POWER—GRACE) GRIT…He did it in front of People who had no grace to give…
    4. Grace is the power to do what I could not do on my own. 
      1. It is unmerited favor. 
      2. I don’t deserve it 
      3. I didn’t earn it 
      4. but yet God saw fit to work His grace within me.
      5. So I am therefore SAVED BY GRACE BUT FORGIVEN BY MERCY. 

Transition:  GRACE IS THE POWER TO LIVE FREE FROM SIN, BONDAGE, THE PAST, FEAR, SHAME, ALL OF IT. GRACE SAYS GO AND SIN NO MORE.  

That takes some Grit…

Transition:  

Wristwatch Illustration:  

Email my notes